Why havent we come up with alternate fuels already?

Question

Its funny to me how we went straight to the moon in the 1960;s yet, so far, we have made no other progress, we still have gas for godsakes for cars, shouldnt we already have an altnernate fuel source that is safer and not costly, I seriously believe theres a conspiracy, b/c if theres no gas, all the gas stations will go out of biz, and the as in congress want it for some reason, we wont progress b/c there is sthg. in it for congress. Agree? We supposedly have cars in the making w/ alternate fuels, yet why aren't they being sold in the market already?

Answer 1

There are plenty.

They are just not economically competetive with fossil fuels.  The world is not a happy merry skip to my loo place where people provide services for free or are willing to pay 10 times as much just to go green.

With the exception of nuclear power which is competetive, and is widely used, but people are afraid of it.  They got too far too fast early on and sent everyone running for the hills.

If the environmentalists and scaredy cats would stop fighting it, the public was better informed, and we came up with a solution for the waste, the dependancy on fossil fuels could be gone in a few decades.

Answer 2

we've always had alternative fuels its just a mater of cost, if you can go 20 miles for $3 do you want the government to make you pay $10 to go the same 20 miles?.

or if it costs you $150 per month to heat or air condition your house do you want laws passed to make you pay $400 for cleaner power to do the same thing?

hydrogen,ethanol,  vegetable oil fuel & electric cars have been around for a hundred years but in a free country we are free to choose cheaper or more practical alternatives like coal & oil at least untill now. what are you willing to give up so you can pay more for transportation & comfort?

Answer 3

We also have more oil in the ground out west (shale oil) than we probably would ever use but when the price was 20 to 30 bucks a barrel in was not cost effective to tap it but now it is and there are companies doing exploration work in those states, those properties were purchased by our government around 1920 so its time to get IT up and keep it in this country for our own use and not like the Alaska situation where we sell it to other countries. Canada has been mining shale oil for years up in Alberta and they sell lots of it to

China and the likes.

Answer 4

we have dumbutt theres like a million.

electricity (best)

biodiesel

ethanol

Hydrogen

oil from just about every kind of plant

air engines

liquid nitro

alchohol fuel

the list goes on and on and on and on.

or you could ya know WALK or ride a BIKE.

MPG 1 BILLION!!

Answer 5

We have... the most viable at the moment is straight ethanol...

However the oil people still have much reserves, and a lot of clout in Washington...

As long as they have product to sell , they will continue to buy politicians..

Still in all, everything will probably start to switch to ethanol within 5-10 years......

Answer 6

Sounds like u have a job .now get it done.

Answer 7

It's funny that computers for example who became so much more efficient in storied data over the years but the energy industry has barely made any improvements. You can make money on energy but you can't make money on data. I believe many patents that help cars become much more efficient have been suppressed over the years.

Now with the issue of global warming, the people with the power to make a difference still care more about global control.

At this point I believe in free energy, there are many different technologies that create this and the fundamental explanation for it's possibility is zeropoint energy. I've done some research on them and find it fascinating. But all lack funding and political power to make them happen in the market. Because if it did, the energy monopoly would disappear and that would be too many big changes for the world on the economic level.

But I hope any great new revelation in technology comes out on a wide scale because with the threats of global warming, we need this. In the meantime I'll work on finding ways to become energy independant.

Answer 8

Hello, there are hybrids for sale all over the place.  

The transition isn't going to happen over night.  The biggest reason is because people still buy vehicles that gobble gas like Hummers and big SUV's and sports cars.  As long as the consumer continues to send that message to auto manufacturers why would they invest in other technology?

j

Answer 9

We have.  They can't compete (economically) with oil sitting in the ground waiting to be tapped.

It's no conspiracy.  Don't fall into that clap-trap.

Answer 10

Probably it is because Exxon Mobil, Citgo, Chevron and many other companies have the monopoly of the energy and the government of the GOP haven't try anything to move on with oil and so on

Bye

Answer 11

We do have plenty of alternative fuels. Getting consumers to buy them is partly why. It's not practical to have everyone go out and buy a $20,000 hybrid. Converting everyone to alternative fuels would be extremely expensive and put many of us into huge debt. We DO have the technology for everyone in America to run their car off electricity. But then again we will burn coal to get that electricity.

Answer 12

Your use of the word fuels may be limiting reasonable considerations.

What is wanted is portable energy, whether that is a fuel or stored gas pressure, kinetic energy, or chemical as in a battery.

We are deterred from deploying these technologies by the ready availability, low cost of fossil fuels, the relatively higher cost or availability.

Your qualification that you want it low cost too, or you will not even notice it is widespread. But as fossil fuels become more costly our perception of what  is low cost may shift.

Answer 13

When oil companies are making 41 billion profit per quarter they can afford to buy up technologies that may someday compete with them.  Look who's buying up the battery techs.  Look who's buying the wind mills.  I just saw a BP commercial telling me that they are the ones leading the research on Hydrogen techs and alternate fuels for the future.  What ever happens in the future big oil will own the largest share of it.  And control how it's distributed.

To bad for us.

Answer 14

Think this through logically, please, instead of immediately jumping to the conclusion that there is a conspiracy.

First, the alternative fuel has to be produced economically enough that it will be purchased by enough people to make a difference. Would you pay $12/gal?

--enough vehicles have to use it.  How many vehicles can use diesel or biofuels now?  Will everybody have to buy new cars or convert the engines on old ones?

--it has to be produced in quantities large enough to get it to enough people to make a difference. That means building plants to make it. People will file law suits to keep them out of their neighborhoods just like they do for other factories.

--it has to be produced in all areas of the country or in enough areas so that people have access to it. (Think how many gas stations there are.)

Any alternative fuel would require an enormous conversion of the entire transportation system and every business that supports it, including public transportation like buses.  This is a bigger challenge than than it sounds.

It will likely be a gradual conversion.

Answer 15

1- there are already cars in the market with alternative energies and motorizations (compressed air, gas turbines, reciprocical with natural gas or hydrogen, fuel cells with hydrogens or others, stirling engine, electric motor, and so on...)

2- not a lot of money has been invested in research for renewable energies, even after the oil crises

3- there is no conspiracy theory, just an established market with short term views (5 years CEO seat, 3 years for the shareholders and return on investment lower than 5 years).

4- the Moon conquest was backed by a huge political will and enthousiasm from the public. Believe it or not but  a lot of people still resist alternative fuels.

5- Gas stations and companies will not go out of business but just shift to new forms of energies.

6- oil was until now too cheap to let alternative energies compete. New energy prices and climate uncertainties are an opportunity for them to emerge

Answer 16

they might sitll be preparing more so that everyone will be able to use it instead of only one group. or else that one group will be living even better off.